• Source:JND
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Nearly a million people have been affected by severe flooding in northern Bihar, which has damaged embankments of major rivers like the Kosi, Bagmati and Gandak. The floods wreaked havoc in 16 districts, including West and East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Darbhanga and Sheohar, with 269 panchayats across 55 blocks severely impacted. The situation arose after excessive rainfall in Nepal caused record water levels in these rivers, leading to breaches in embankments and widespread inundation.

Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary highlighted the unprecedented flow of water into north Bihar from Nepal, attributing the flooding to 60 hours of continuous rainfall in the neighbouring country. He noted that this was the first time in history that such a large volume of water entered Bihar, surpassing previous records. 

Vijay Kumar Chaudhary added that embankments were breached at seven different points due to overwhelming water pressure, with Gandak and Kosi rivers seeing such damage after 21 and 56 years, respectively.

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In Nepal, over 200 people have died due to the heavy downpour and while rainfall has subsided, the floods continue to pose a significant challenge in Bihar. The state government is conducting repairs on the damaged embankments and reinforcing other vulnerable areas. Minister Chaudhary stated that embankments would be elevated and strengthened in the future to prevent similar disasters.

So far, the Bihar government has deployed 12 teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 22 from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) for relief and rescue efforts. Additionally, six more teams from Varanasi and Ranchi are being deployed to assist in managing the crisis.

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Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary also emphasised that the current situation has intensified Bihar’s long-standing demand for barrages on the Gandak, Kosi and Bagmati rivers. He called on the central government to provide assistance for a comprehensive flood management plan to prevent future calamities.